Dome camera mechanism

ABSTRACT

A dome camera mechanism for an improved gimbal pan assembly which allows rotation of an optical module of the dome camera over 360 degrees in a pan direction using a track and a guide.

RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA

The present application claims the benefit of priority of provisionalapplication No. 62/367,574 filed on Jul. 27, 2016, the entire contentsof which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

The present subject-matter relates to a camera device, and moreparticularly to a domed camera device having an improved optical modulepan rotation mechanism.

BACKGROUND

Dome cameras are widely used in various applications for capturingimages of a scene. One particular application exists in the field ofsurveillance. The dome of the camera advantageously protects componentsof the camera from outside particles and liquids. Furthermore, the domecan assist in concealing the orientation of the lens of the camera. Thisconcealment reduces the feeling of intrusion for people present near thecamera. Typically, the optical module of a dome camera is pan, rotatedand tilted to aim the optical module in a direction for a desired fieldof view.

Typically the camera module is able to be tilted between zero and ninetydegrees. The tilting mechanism is simple for such short adjustments.However, the optical module in a domed camera has to allow panning forat least 360 degrees in order to ensure full coverage, but not much morethan 360 degrees in order to ensure that the wires connecting to theoptical module are not stressed by the twisting as a result of theoptical module being pan rotated.

A yoke 1920 in accordance with the prior art is shown in FIG. 19. Theyoke 1920 includes a first arm 1925 and a second arm 1930. The first arm1925 has a first draft surface 1935 and the second arm 1930 has a seconddraft surface 1940. The yoke 1920 has the two arms 1925, 1930 thatextend outwards for some distance and then extend upwards. The upwardsextending parts are the draft surfaces 1935, 1940 each containingpass-throughs for screw bosses which acts as an axle for tilt rotationof an optical module, and track slots wherein a locking thumb screwrides. One locking thumb screw is sufficient to lock the yoke 1920 fromtilt rotating, but two locking thumb screws may also be used, one oneach draft surface 1935, 1940.

To manufacture this yoke 1920 part, the pass-throughs are created by aslider in a mold tool, where the exterior surface on the yoke 1920 isnormal to movement of the slider direction 1945. The inside surface iscreated on the core (core direction 1950) of the tool, this necessitatesa draft 1955 on the inside surface of each arm 1925, 1930 of the yoke1920 to allow the part to be removed from the tool. The draft 1955 is,for example, a 1.5 degree angle on the inside surface of the draftsurfaces 1935, 1940 to make the inside surfaces of the yoke 1920 angledslight outward from the vertical, while leaving the exterior surfaces ofthe draft surfaces 1935, 1940 parallel to each other. The draft 1955creates a non-uniform thickness for the clamping action of the lockingthumb screw, but which may too easily allow the optical module to tiltin one direction with little force.

SUMMARY

According to one example embodiment, there is provided an apparatus thatincludes a yoke configured to mount an optical module of a camera. Theyoke includes a disk having a circular perimeter. The disk defines atrack that traces a path extending over 360 degrees alongside thecircular perimeter. The apparatus also includes a gimbal base that isconfigured to mount the yoke. The gimbal base includes a guide and, whenthe yoke is mounted on the gimbal base, the guide and the trackcooperatively limit an amount of rotation of the yoke, relative to thegimbal base, in a pan direction.

According to another example embodiment, there is provided an apparatusthat includes a gimbal base. The gimbal base includes a yoke-mountingregion defined interiorly within a circular perimeter on a surface ofthe gimbal base. A track is defined within the yoke-mounting region ofthe gimbal base. The track traces a path extending over 360 degreesalongside the circular perimeter. The apparatus also includes a yokeconfigured to mount an optical module of a camera. The yoke includes adisk that includes a guide and, when the yoke is mounted on the gimbalbase, the guide and the track cooperatively limit an amount of rotationof the yoke, relative to the gimbal base, in a pan direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description refers to the following figures, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a dome cameraaccording to one example embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the optical module, the yoke,and the gimbal base assembled according to one example embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top plan view of the gimbal base according to oneexample embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom plan view of the gimbal base according toone example embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates a top plan view of the yoke according to one exampleembodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom plan view of the yoke according to oneexample embodiment;

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the yoke seated on the gimbalbase according to one example embodiment;

FIG. 8 illustrates a bottom plan view of the yoke seated on the gimbalbase according to one example embodiment;

FIG. 9 illustrates a sectional view of the yoke seated on the gimbalbase according to one example embodiment;

FIG. 10 illustrates a top plan view of the yoke seated on the gimbalbase and the cam latch engaged with the yoke according to one exampleembodiment;

FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of the cam latch according to oneexample and another example embodiment;

FIG. 12 illustrates a top plan view of the cam latch of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 illustrates a top plan view of a yoke seated on a gimbal baseaccording to another example embodiment;

FIG. 14 illustrates a top plan view of the yoke seated in the gimbalbase of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 illustrates a sectional view of line B-B of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 illustrates a sectional view similar to FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 illustrates a sectional view of line C-C of FIG. 7;

FIG. 18 illustrates a front plan view of a yoke according to a furtherexample embodiment; and

FIG. 19 illustrates a front plan view of a yoke according to the priorart.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale.For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggeratedrelative to other elements for clarity. Furthermore, where consideredappropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures toindicate corresponding or analogous elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

Numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, itwill be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that theembodiments described herein may be practiced without these specificdetails. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures andcomponents have not been described in detail so as not to obscure theembodiments described herein. Furthermore, this description is not to beconsidered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein inany way but rather as merely describing the implementation of thevarious embodiments described herein.

The word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising”in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one”, but it is alsoconsistent with the meaning of “one or more”, “at least one”, and “oneor more than one” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.Similarly, the word “another” may mean at least a second or more unlessthe content clearly dictates otherwise.

As used in this specification and claim(s), the words “comprising” (andany form of comprising, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having”(and any form of having, such as “have” and “has”), “including” (and anyform of including, such as “include” and “includes”) or “containing”(and any form of containing, such as “contain” and “contains”), areinclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecitedelements or process steps.

The term “approximately” or “substantially” as used herein mean areasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the endresult is not significantly changed. These terms of degree should beconstrued as including a deviation of at least ±10% of the modified termif this deviation would not negate the meaning of the word it modifies.

Referring now to FIG. 1, illustrated therein is is an explodedperspective view of a dome camera 100 according to one exampleembodiment. The dome camera 100 comprises a surface mount adapter 102, ahousing 104, an electronics board 106, a gimbal base 108, a yoke 110, anoptical module 112, and a dome bubble assembly 114. The dome camera 100may be installed on a ceiling with the dome bubble assembly 114 pointingdownwards. The dome camera 100 may also be installed on a pendant withthe dome bubble assembly 114 again pointing downwards. The dome camera100 may also be installed on a wall with the dome bubble assembly 114pointing sideways.

The optical module 112 tilts approximately from zero to 90 and panrotates more than 360 degree in order to ensure that the dome camera 100may be set to a desired field of view.

The dome camera 100 further has wiring (not shown) to connect theoptical module 112 to the electronic board 106 where images, includingvideo, captured by the optical module 112 are processed before beingsent onwards to a security system (not shown) either through more wiring(not shown) or wirelessly (not shown). The processing may includeformatting the outputted image data to various image standards such as,for example, H.264 and further may include analyzing the images usingvideo analytics to detect objects and to classify the objects. Theprocessing may further include compressing, encoding, and decoding thecaptured images and video.

The optical module 112 includes a lens unit, an image sensor (notshown), and the associated circuitry (not shown). The lens unit islocated at a front end of the optical module 112. The optical module 112captures images and video of a scene in the field of view of the domecamera 100. The dome bubble assembly 114 has a dome part 116 whichallows light external to the dome camera 100 to pass the dome part 116which is then captured by the optical module 112 to form the images andvideo. The image sensor may be CMOS, NMOS or CCD.

The electronics board 106 may further include data management functionsfor storing the captured images and video locally and for transmittingthe same over a network to other devices as part of the security system.The electronics board 106 may further include communication and controlfunctions for the security system to control the optical module 112 asis known in the field.

Referring now to FIG. 2, illustrated therein is is a perspective view ofthe optical module 112, the yoke 110, and the gimbal base 108 assembledaccording to one example embodiment. The yoke 110 pan rotates around afirst axis 200 relative to the gimbal base 108 for over 360 degrees. Theoptical module 112 tilts or rotates related to the yoke 110 around asecond axis 204 approximately zero to 90 degrees from near the firstaxis 200 to a plane near the gimbal base 108. The first axis 200 and thesecond axis 204 are approximately orthogonal or perpendicular to eachother.

Referring now to FIG. 3, illustrated therein is a top plan view of thegimbal base 108 according to one example embodiment. The gimbal base 108comprises a first ring 308 and a second ring 310 for receiving the yoke110, snaps 306 for retaining the Yoke 110 in the first ring 308 and thesecond ring 310, and a guide 304. The guide 304 is a cantilever armwhich is molded such that it largely follows the shape of the secondring 310 (hole through the base), but is offset along the length towardsthe center of the hole. At the end of the cantilever arm, there is a pin302 that extends above the surface to act as a stop to limit the panrotation of the yoke 110. Optionally, there is a protrusion 312 to thepin 302 pointing back towards the root of the cantilever.

Referring now to FIG. 4, illustrated therein is a bottom plan view ofthe gimbal base 108 according to one example embodiment. As shown theguide 304 has a rib 410 to further strengthen the cantilever arm.

Referring now to FIG. 5, illustrated therein is a top plan view of theyoke 110 according to one example embodiment. The yoke 110 comprising afirst arm 502, a second arm 504, a stop disk 508, and a seating disk506. The seating disk 506 fits into the first ring 308 of the gimbalbase 108. Both the seating disk 506 and the first ring 308 are circularso that the yoke 110 can pan rotate relative to the gimbal base 108.

Referring now to FIG. 6, illustrated therein is a bottom plan view ofthe yoke 110 according to one example embodiment. The yoke 110comprising a track 602 with a first stop 604 and a second stop 606. Thetrack 602 has a spiral shape. The track 602 in combination with theguide 304 allows the yoke 110 to pan rotate over 360 degrees but lessthan 380 degrees.

Referring now to FIG. 7, illustrated therein is a perspective view ofthe yoke 110 seated on the gimbal base 108 according to one exampleembodiment. The yoke 110 is attached to the gimbal base 108 by the snaps306 and a cam latch 710 is engaged to the stop disk 508 to lock andprevent the yoke 110 from further pan rotation. Alternately, the camlatch 710 may instead engage the seating disk 502 (not shown) to lockand prevent the yoke 110 from further pan rotation.

Referring now to FIG. 8, illustrated therein is a bottom plan view ofthe yoke 110 seated on the gimbal base 108 according to one exampleembodiment. The guide 304 has the pin 302 (not completely visible) inthe track 602. The snaps 306 comprises flexible snaps 810 a, 810 b andfixed snap 820. Alternately, the gimbal base 108 may have two fixedsnaps and one flexible snap or three flexible snaps.

Referring now to FIG. 9, illustrated therein is a sectional view of theyoke 110 seated on the gimbal base 108 along line A-A of FIG. 8according to one example embodiment. The yoke 110 is attached to thegimbal base 108 through the use of the snaps 306, and the pin 302 on thegimbal base 108 extends upwards into the track 602 on the yoke 110. Thetrack 602 allows the pin 302 to pass unimpeded while the yoke 110 isrotated for the majority of the permitted pan rotation. Near the ends ofthe track 602, it is tapered and offset and forces the cantilever arm ofthe guide 304 to bend laterally and follow the wall of the track 602until the pin 302 contacts one of the ends of the track 602, one of thefirst stop 604 and the second stop 606, preventing further pan rotation.

Due to the cantilever arm of the guide 304, stopping rotation of theyoke 110 is stronger in one direction where the cantilever arm is incompression. In the other direction, the cantilever arm is in extensionand naturally tries to lift out of the track 602 without stopping therotation. The rib 410 (protrusion) was added to the pin 302 which fitsin the undercut molded into the yoke 110. Once interlocked, thecantilever arm is prevented from lifting, allowing the stopping to beeffective in the other rotation direction.

Referring now to FIG. 10, illustrated therein is a top plan view of theyoke 110 seated on the gimbal base 108 and the cam latch 710 engagedwith the yoke 110 according to one example embodiment. As shown, the camlatch 710 is engaged with the stop disk 508 in a locked position at locktap 1015. At or before the cam latch 710 reaching tap 1010, the yoke 110is unlocked to be able to pan rotate relative to the gimbal base 108.

Referring now to FIG. 11, illustrated therein is a perspective view ofthe cam latch 710 according to one example embodiment.

Referring now to FIG. 12, illustrated therein is a top plan view of thecam latch 710. The cam latch 710 comprises a handle 1205, a firstreduced curve portion 1210, an increased curve portion 1215, a max curveportion 1230, and a second reduced curve portion 1220. The reducedportion 1210 has a surface that is closer to an attachment axis 1225.The increased curve portion 1215 has a surface that is further from theattachment axis 1225 then the surface of the reduced portion 1210. Themax curve portion 1230 has a surface that is farthest from theattachment axis 1225 as compared to the first reduced curve portion1210, the increased curve portion 1215, and the second curve portion1220. The second curve portion 1220 is just a little bit closer to theattachment axis 1225 then the max curve portion 1230. The attachmentaxis 1225 is the center of hole 1235 which is used to attach the camlatch 710 to the gimbal base 108 with a fastener such as a screw.

Referring now to FIG. 13, illustrated therein is a top plan view of agimbal base 1305 according to an alternate embodiment. The cam latch 710is positioned to engage flexible snap 1315 when the handle 1205 is at ornear locked tab 1325. The cam latch 710 contains a curved surface thatincreases the distance from the attachment axis 1225 as the cam latch710 is rotated from the first reduced curve portion 1210 to theincreased curve portion 1215 relative to the snap 1315. On or before themax curve portion 1230 engages the snap 1315, that is the cam latch 710makes contact with the snap 1315 and pushes against the snap 1315towards yoke 1310, thereby creating friction between the snap 1315 andthe yoke 1310 to prevent further rotation of the yoke 1310. As shown,the cam latch 710 is in a locked position where the handle 1205 is atlock tab 1325, and the cam latch 710 has been rotated past the max curveportion 1230 to the second curve portion 1220. With the second curveportion 1220 engaging the snap 1315, the handle 1205 would resistmovement to the unlock tab 1330.

The handle 1205 provides a pushing surface for a user to rotate the camlatch 710. There are one or more fixed snaps 1320 (not all shown) toretain the yoke 1310 in the gimbal base 1305.

Referring now to FIG. 14, illustrated therein is a top plan view of theyoke 1310 seated in the gimbal base 1305 of FIG. 13 with the cam latch710 released from the locked position. The cam latch 710 is in aunlocked position when the handle 1205 reaches unlock tab 1330.

Referring now to FIG. 15, illustrated therein is a sectional view ofline B-B of FIG. 13 showing the cam latch 710 in the locked positionwith the second curve portion 1220 engaged against the snap 1315 whichpushes the snap 1315 against the yoke 1310. The pressure of the snap1315 against the yoke 1310 creates the friction between the yoke 1310and the gimbal base 1305 to prevent further rotation between theseparts. Alternately, the cam latch 710 may instead directly engageseating disk 1505 of the yoke 1310 (not shown with the snap 1315removed) to create the friction between the yoke 1310 and the gimbalbase 1305 to prevent further rotation between these parts.

It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that thesnap 1315 does not have to be able to also retain the yoke 1310 in thegimbal base 1305. The snap 1315 may instead be just a tab of material1600 as shown in FIG. 16 which illustrates a sectional view similar toFIG. 15 with the cam latch 710, yoke 1610, and gimbal base 1605.

It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the tabof material 1600 and the snap 1315 may alternatively both be present.

Referring now to FIG. 17, illustrated therein is a sectional view ofline C-C of FIG. 7. The cam latch 710 is in a locked position where thesecond curve portion 1220 engages and pushes against the stop disk 508thereby creating friction which prevents further rotation between thegimbal base 108 and the yoke 110. It will be appreciated that the oneexample embodiment has a similar unlocked position and released fromlocked position for the cam latch 710 as the alternate embodiment asshown in FIG. 14.

It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that theembodiments described herein may be practiced without these specificdetails. This description is not to be considered as limiting the scopeof the embodiments described herein in any way but rather as merelydescribing the implementation of the various embodiments describedherein. For example, the embodiments described herein have the track onthe yoke and the guide on the gimbal base. It will be understood bythose of ordinary skill in the art that instead the guide may beimplemented on the yoke and the track may be implemented on the gimbalbase.

The yoke 110, 1310, the gimbal base 108, 1305, the cam latch 710 may besubstantially constructed of a flexible material such, for example, aplastic. The yoke 110, 1310 may be constructed from, for example,polyoxymethylene; the gimbal base 108, 1305 may be constructed from, forexample, polycarbonate; and the cam latch 710 may be constructed from,for example, polycarbonate. It will be understood by those of ordinaryskill in the art that the yoke, the gimbal base, and the cam latch mayalso be constructed using a metal, for example.

Referring now to FIG. 18, illustrated therein is a front view of a yoke1800 according to another example embodiment. The yoke 1800 and the yoke110 shown in FIG. 1 are a functionally interchangeable part for the domecamera 100 of FIG. 1. The yoke 1800 includes a first arm 1805 and asecond arm 1810. The first arm 1805 has a first draft surface 1815 andthe second arm 1810 has a second draft surface 1820. The draft surfaces1815, 1820 have a uniform thickness. This provides an even clampingthickness for the locking thumb screw 120 (FIG. 1) over the entireadjustment range thus providing a consistent clamping force in bothdirections. Further, the draft surfaces 1815, 1820 are angled slightlyoutward from the vertical (in the slider direction) in order for theyoke 1800 may be easily removed from the molding tool. This alleviatesthe clamping problem of the non-uniform thickness while at the same timeallowing the yoke 1800 to be easily removed from the molding tool.

Those skilled in art may determine the thickness of the draft surfaces1815, 1820 and the dimensions of the yoke 1800 so that when the screwbosses 118 are installed with the optical module 112, the arms 1805,1810 are deformed such that both the inside and exterior surfaces of thedraft surfaces 1815, 1820 are vertical and parallel. Due to thisdeformation, the size of the pass-through on the slider need to beadjusted as the clearance of these features will be at an angle relativeto the optical module 112 bosses once assembled.

While the above description provides examples of the embodiments, itwill be appreciated that some features and/or functions of the describedembodiments are susceptible to modification without departing from thespirit and principles of operation of the described embodiments.Accordingly, what has been described above has been intended to beillustrated non-limiting and it will be understood by persons skilled inthe art that other variants and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as defined in the claimsappended hereto.

The invention claimed is:
 1. Apparatus comprising: a yoke configured to mount an optical module of a camera, the yoke including a disk having a circular perimeter, and the disk defining a track that traces a path extending over 360 degrees alongside the circular perimeter; and a gimbal base configured to mount the yoke, and the gimbal base including a guide, and when the yoke is mounted on the gimbal base, the guide and the track cooperatively limit an amount of rotation of the yoke, relative to the gimbal base, in a pan direction, wherein the track limits the rotation of the yoke relative to the base to an amount more than 360 degrees but less than 380 degrees.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guide comprises a pin which moves in the track and stops the rotation of the yoke in a direction that opposes an end of the track.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the track is a spiral track.
 4. Apparatus comprising: a yoke configured to mount an optical module of a camera, the yoke including a disk having a circular perimeter, and the disk defining a track that traces a path extending over 360 degrees alongside the circular perimeter; and a gimbal base configured to mount the yoke, and the gimbal base including a guide, and when the yoke is mounted on the gimbal base, the guide and the track cooperatively limit an amount of rotation of the yoke, relative to the gimbal base, in a pan direction, and wherein the guide further comprises a cantilever and a pin, with the pin at one end of the cantilever.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pin moves in the track and stops the rotation of the yoke in a direction that opposes an end of the track.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the track is a spiral track.
 7. Apparatus comprising: a gimbal base including a yoke-mounting region defined interiorly within a circular perimeter on a surface of the gimbal base; a track being defined within the yoke-mounting region of the gimbal base, the track tracing a path extending over 360 degrees alongside the circular perimeter; and a yoke configured to mount an optical module of a camera, the yoke including a disk that includes a guide; and when the yoke is mounted on the gimbal base, the guide and the track cooperatively limit an amount of rotation of the yoke, relative to the gimbal base, in a pan direction, wherein the track limits the rotation of the yoke relative to the base to an amount more than 360 degrees but less than 380 degrees.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the guide comprises a pin which moves in the track and stops the rotation of the yoke in a direction that opposes an end of the track.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the track is a spiral track.
 10. Apparatus comprising: a gimbal base including a yoke-mounting region defined interiorly within a circular perimeter on a surface of the gimbal base; a track being defined within the yoke-mounting region of the gimbal base, the track tracing a path extending over 360 degrees alongside the circular perimeter; and a yoke configured to mount an optical module of a camera, the yoke including a disk that includes a guide; and when the yoke is mounted on the gimbal base, the guide and the track cooperatively limit an amount of rotation of the yoke, relative to the gimbal base, in a pan direction, and wherein the guide further comprises a cantilever and a pin, with the pin at one end of the cantilever.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the pin moves in the track and stops the rotation of the yoke in a direction that opposes an end of the track.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the track is a spiral track. 